The Pre-University student council of SMK Cohrane was beyond excited to be informed of a turtle pledge collection in conjunction with WWF’s PLEDGE TO LIVE GREEN campaign late last year. What better way to kick start the new year by being someone’s – more specifically, turtles’ superheroes?

A goal of 1000 pledges was set and a committee consisting of 13 students actively participated in the official launch of the turtle pledge collection in SMK Cochrane. Copies of the petition sheets were at the ready and a speech to raise awareness about these endangered beauties was made. Additional information about marine turtles – their cause of endangerment, turtle conservation posters as well as the gist of the pledge collection was pasted onto our Pre-U’s notice board for those who wished to know more about this exciting project.

With just a little over a month’s time to complete this task, the committee members started with the pledge collection without haste. Teachers, students as well as staff were asked to sign the petition and bring us one step closer to saving these gentle creatures. Aside from that, the committee members also put in the extra effort by asking their friends and families as well as passers-by to fight for this cause by pledging. Some even took the initiative to wait at the bus stops, tuition centers, churches, even schools to achieve our target of 1000 pledge by early March 2015 and perhaps even inspiring them to join the effort and start collecting the pledges themselves.

Most who signed the petition felt repulsed by the injustice and cruel deeds done by the parties involved – poachers and illegal wildlife traders and signed the petition without hesitation. One passerby with disappointment in her eyes said, “how can we call ourselves civilized when inhumane acts like these are still uncurbed?” Another said “if there’s no demand for it, then there will be no trade”.

Cochranians were constantly informed of the progress of the pledge collection and with a blink of an eye, dawns the arrival of March. With that, we exceeded expectations by collecting 1125 pledges. The handing over of the pledge was done on the 4th of March 2015 to the WWF Youth Outreach person in-charge when they came to deliver a talk on Tiger conservation. Much was learnt and experienced throughout this journey. It is one to treasure and one we will continue to abide with to fight for the rights of animals on this planet. One for all, all for one!

The principal of SMK Cohrane being to first to pledge and thus officially launch the turtle pledge collection in SMK Cohrane.

Please note that
wwf.org.my, www.facebook.com/wwfmy, www.twitter.com/wwfmy, and www.youtube.com/wwfmy are WWF-Malaysia's only official digital channels. If you have any concerns or queries, please e-mail: contactus@wwf.org.my.